But the program had to stop after Nassau County cut funding to the non-profit.

Executive director Rabia Aziz says the program had been serving 16 to 24-year-olds. They had also been offering education on how people could protect themselves from such illnesses.

“So, virtually an infrastructure that had been developed over 19 years and a relationship with the community stopped abruptly,” she told WCBS 880 reporter Sophia Hall. “As not-for-profits, we always have to reinvent ourselves and look at other means to continue to do the work and that’s what we’re doing now is reaching out to the community and utilizing the resources of the community as best we can.”

Aziz hopes a generous donor will give the $110,000 needed to keep the testing program going.

“We are looking for individuals who understand the need for healthy education,” she said.

The Long Island Minority AIDS Coalition is located at 1045 Route 109 # 101, Lindenhurst, NY 11757. Their phone number is 631-225-5500.

Sophia HallThis is a real dream for a girl from a small Ohio city -- to work for the greatest news station in the country, WCBS -- but it was a little journey...More fromSophia Hall